The City of Racine Common Council convened on February 3, 2026, at 6:00 PM to address a variety of administrative, public works, and personnel matters. The meeting featured significant debate regarding snow removal procedures, resulting in a decision to keep the topic under council review rather than filing it. Key personnel appointments, including the new Director of Parks and Recreation, were approved unanimously along with several grant acceptances and licensing applications. Despite procedural constraints on denying certain licenses, the council navigated complex motions regarding the demolition of the McMinn parking structure and the introduction of a new Bloomberg Harvard Fellowship.
If all this could please get seated, we will begin momentarily. If all thers could please be seated. Okay, I say this every time, but alders could please take their seats. We will begin momentarily. Well, good evening, everyone. The hour of six o'clock having arrived on this third of February 2026. It is my honor to call to order the City of Racine Common Council. The first order of business, as always, is the Pledge of Allegiance. If you could please stand as you are able and join me in the pledge. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, the next item before us is the approval of the Journal of Council Proceedings for January twentieth. Opposed that motion carries. Just as a point of information, if you come in on the first floor of City Hall, you'll also see some local African American figures that are featured outside the clerk's office. And if you look to some of the screens we have in City Hall and social media pages, look for local uh residents who are from Racine and part of that August history to be honored. Moving on now to public comments, I will ask the clerk to please read the uh proceedings before we begin. There is no one signed up for public comment this evening. Okay. Then we will move on to communications introduced to council. Uh I will ask uh Alder Land if she would like to make a motion regarding the referrals to her committee. I'd like to refer the following items to finance and personnel committee. Item 0068-26 communication sponsored by the mayor requesting accept a 2026 beak control grant. Item 0084-26. Communication requests in the approval of benefits broker and consulting services and the permission to enter into an employee health insurance coverage broker services agreement and manage pharmacy service agreement. Item 0093-26 communication submitting the claim of we energies for disallowance. I'd like a second motion. There's a motion and a second to refer these items to finance the personnel. All those in favor, please say aye. Opposed that motion carries. I erred in moving ahead to finance the personnel, which is usually first for referrals. We do have a referral to the committee of the whole by uh for Alder Horton to read. Uh Alder Horton, would you like to read that item? Item 0091-26 communication sponsored by Alder Allen, Alder Jurgison, and Audible Bone requesting DPW to present and discuss policy and strategies surrounding snow removal procedures. Alder Mack, did you want to make a motion? Alder Wynner, would you like to make a motion? Thank you. I would move to receive and file this item. Sir and file this item made by Alder Weiner, seconded by Alder Mack. Alder Weiner, would you like to speak to your motion? I would thank you. Uh, this item was just uh before the council two weeks ago. Uh this item had been received and filed by the public works and services committee, and the council unanimously approved that receive and file if I remember correctly. So it it behooves me why this item is even on the agenda at this time. It was my understanding that once a few of the aldermans that had concern about the the procedures for plowing and snow snow and ice removal would be meeting with public works, and then at that time I believe that this item would come back to public works and services where it belongs. It does not belong before the committee of the whole back. Thank you. Oh, comments made by Old Weiner. In a robust discussion at the public works committee, over an hour, I believe. Um, all the aldermen were invited to attend that. It was televised. Alderman Jorgensen was there.